


An Issue of a Dragon

by TrueMeg



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Dragons, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hogwarts, M/M, Minor Injuries, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueMeg/pseuds/TrueMeg
Summary: Albus returns to school with an extra little something in a box: a dragon. Albus is confident he can take care of it on his own. But Scorpius knows better.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 16
Kudos: 42
Collections: Scorbus Fest 2020





	An Issue of a Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my Scorbus Fest 2020 submission!  
> This story was beta-ed by the lovely Megan/accioscorp!!  
> This story contains mentions of very minor injuries.  
> Enjoy!

Scorpius was buzzing. 

Despite the cold bite of the wind whistling through the courtyard, he could barely feel it. He drummed his fingers on the stone railing and kept his eyes trained on the gates across the grounds. 

Dinner was coming up soon. The train coming into Hogsmeade station was sure to arrive in the next few minutes. Scorpius was sure of that. He’d shamefully checked the train schedule several times during the day. He wanted to be sure he knew when the train was coming in and estimating the time it took to walk from Hogsmeade to the Hogwarts grounds. Scorpius’ parents had caught him checking the schedule and counting on his fingers. They gave him knowing smiles, making Scorpius’ cheeks feel hot. Scorpius couldn’t help it though. He knew nearly down to the minute the time he’d see his boyfriend again. 

His mum had called him so far gone. Teasing him but insisting it was a lovely thing. Scorpius was happy.

He’d be much happier once he was reunited with his boyfriend.

Finally, a pack of students came through the gates. Scorpius stood up straighter. He tried picking out a specific face. 

Scorpius was practically bouncing on his feet as the students got ever closer. But as they slowly came up the hill and Scorpius could finally recognize faces, he couldn’t find who he was looking for. He scanned the crowd several times. Still no sign of him. 

Scorpius was trying to hold back the nerves creeping up on him when the first of the students came into the courtyard. “Hi Scorp!”

Scorpius jumped, his hand resting on his chest. “Oh, hi there Hugo.”

Hugo chuckled at him. “Good holiday break?”

“What? Oh, yeah it was really nice. Really nice.” 

Hugo gestured behind him. “Al’s coming. He was lagging behind. See you later!” With that, Hugo headed into the entrance hall.

Scorpius quickly looked back to the grounds. Sure enough, the last two students on their way up the hill, was his Albus walking next to Rose. 

Scorpius broke into a huge grin. There was Albus Potter, making his way up the snowy hill. Albus’ shoulders were hunched against the wind, and as he got closer he could see flecks of snowflakes sticking to his boyfriend’s beanie. Scorpius couldn’t wait to kiss Albus’ pink cheeks, and take his cold hand and warm it up in his own. 

Rose and Albus were just seconds away now. Scorpius couldn’t help himself and he stepped out of the courtyard to meet them.

“Albus!”

Albus finally looked up. He smiled in that embarrassed kind of way that he usually did, and Scorpius’ heart fluttered seeing it. It had only been a couple weeks since he’d seen Albus but it felt like forever. “Hey Scorpius.”

Scorpius threw his arms around Albus, who nearly tumbled under the sudden hug. Scorpius squeezed Albus tight, sighing when he felt content again. 

Only one of Albus’ arms went around Scorpius’ back, and it was only when Albus pulled away that Scorpius noticed some kind of box Albus was holding. 

“Hello, I’m here too,” Rose said.

“Hi Rose.” Scorpius gave her a quick hug. “How are you?”

“I’m well. Better than Al.”

Scorpius looked at Albus with concern. “Are you okay Albus?”

“I’m fine,” Albus said, now holding his box in both hands. “Um, I need to drop this off in the dormitory. Will you come with me?”

“But dinner is—“

“It’ll be quick, I promise!” Albus’ eyebrows were raised, urging Scorpius to say yes.

Scorpius may not know what specifically was in the box but he was sure he knew what Albus was getting at by asking him to go to the dormitory first.

“Sure thing.”

Albus took Scorpius’ hand and led him back into the school. As they walked, Scorpius’ heart was fluttering. A warmth filled every bit of his insides, starting with his hand, securely clasped in the familiar embrace of Albus’ hand and spread to every corner of his body. His smile was huge and wouldn’t go away no matter how much he tried containing himself. But he couldn’t help it. If his mother could see him now, she’d definitely be teasing away at his giddiness. Being reunited with his boyfriend was a great feeling.

Scorpius swung their joined hands back and forth as they walked, and it made Albus smile too. 

Albus very pointedly looked around the common room and their dormitory room, making sure they were truly alone. It was only building Scorpius’ anticipation. Was Albus very keen on keeping the box in his hand a secret? Was it a gift for Scorpius, even though they’d already exchanged their Christmas gifts? Or did Albus just not want any interruptions for a snogging session?

Albus finally pulled Scorpius into the sixth-year boys dormitory and tightly shut the door behind them. He was barely even turned around before Scorpius grabbed Albus’ face and crashed their lips together. 

Scorpius sighed into the kiss, taking in the familiarity of Albus’ lips against his own. He could feel that Albus was stiff at first, definitely surprised by Scorpius’ action. Usually it was Albus who was the impulsive one, but Scorpius was definitely picking up on his boyfriend’s behaviors. It only lasted for a second, until Albus leaned into it, and one hand snaked around Scorpius’ back. Like puzzle pieces falling right back into the right place at once.

If being so far gone for Albus was wrong, he didn’t want to be right.

It was Albus who broke the kiss, their noses bumping together as he did so. “Let me guess, you missed me?”

“Very much so,” Scorpius smiled. “Did you miss me?”

“‘Course I did,” Albus said in a quiet voice. He had a glint in his eyes and a soft smile that had Scorpius’ heart absolutely melting. 

Scorpius was just about to lean in and continue where they’d left off. But Albus spoke first. “I have something to show you!” Albus grabbed Scorpius’ hand and pulled him across the room. Though Scorpius had been looking forward to more kissing, he couldn’t say no to how excited Albus was about this. 

Albus set his mysterious box on his bed. It was a simple wooden chest with an old brass lock. Only after looking at it now did Scorpius see that there were a couple holes in the top lid and a couple on the sides. 

Even before Albus carefully eased open the lid, Scorpius had an idea of what he was about to see inside. 

Scorpius hesitantly looked inside, jumping back when he saw a sudden spark come out of the chest. Albus didn’t seem phased by it, and reached into the chest. He was smiling when he pulled his arm back out. 

Wrapped around his forearm was a small dragon.

“Albus…”

“I know what you’re going to say,” Albus said. His eyes were trained on the creature, and he was still beaming. It would’ve made Scorpius smile too if he wasn’t much more concerned about a literal dragon in front of him. “But I can explain.”

“I would very much love an explanation for this, Albus,” Scorpius replied. 

The dragon was about the size of Albus’ forearm, with its tail long enough to curl once around Albus’ wrist. It was black in color, with a lighter gray belly and neck. Its striking green eyes were looking up at Albus, and the dragon was showing its teeth in what could’ve possibly been a smile. If dragons could smile. Every few seconds a spark or a puff of smoke would pop out of its mouth and nostrils. 

“Okay so, we were at my grandparents’ place for New Years. Like we usually are.” Albus spoke very quickly, further indicating his sense of excitement over this strange situation. “And Uncle Charlie pulled me outside into the garden and he said he has something for me. And well…” He gestured to the dragon, who rubbed its head against Albus’ fingers like a cat. 

“Your uncle just gave you a baby dragon?”

“Actually, she’s not a baby,” Albus said. “I mean, she’s young, yes, but she’s full grown like this.”

Scorpius’ eyes widened, and Albus was quick to keep explaining. 

“Charlie’s been working for years now breeding a miniature species of dragon. For people to have as pets! Just like a cat or dog or owl! So, this is her. She’s mostly Welsh Green, but with other dragons in there. And selectively bred to be this size only.”

Scorpius was staring at the dragon. Now that Albus mentioned it, the dragon did look like a Common Welsh Green, save for its coloring. It was mostly black and dark gray, but he could see hints of green in its little horns and in the ridge down its back. And the size, obviously. Beyond that, his brain definitely wasn’t accepting the idea of miniature sized dragon as a pet, and definitely not the fact that Albus had it here in the dormitory with him.

“Isn’t she amazing?” Albus asked, stroking the dragon’s head again. It gave a little coo at Albus.

“She’s…something,” Scorpius said lamely. 

Albus was too encompassed with his creature to notice. “Her name’s Pepper.”

“Pepper?” Of all things to name what was probably the first of her kind, and Albus went with that?

“After Pepper Imps. I thought of you when I named her,” Albus smiled.

Alright, that is adorable, Scorpius thought. He’d grab his boyfriend’s face again and kiss him if he wasn’t still in shock at the situation. “So…your uncle Charlie gave you a miniature dragon that he’s bred to be a pet. And you’ve…brought it to Hogwarts.”

“Well yeah,” Albus replied. “She’s mine to keep. I mean, Charlie does want me to update him on what it’s like keeping her so he can continue his research and everything. But she is mine to keep.”

“Albus, I don’t want to be the downer here…but I don’t think you’d be allowed to keep a dragon.”

“She’ll be a secret,” Albus said. “Our secret.”

Their eyes met. And while Albus’ expression was full of earnest, Scorpius’ definitely reflected that of his continued shock. This wouldn’t be the first time either one of them broke school rules. But this felt bigger than skipping an occasional class or sneaking out of the common room past curfew. This was a whole magical creature. A dangerous one, at that. Even if she was small and supposed to be a pet, she clearly still had fire-breathing abilities. And sharp teeth. 

Did Albus know what he was getting into?

“Um, Al—“

Albus cut him off. “Here, you can hold her!” 

Scorpius instinctively stepped back as Albus thrust a literal dragon at his chest. Albus transferred the creature into Scorpius’ arms. Pepper gave a little screech as she was moved and that certainly didn’t help Scorpius’ nerves. So he was very tense when Pepper was fully in his arms. 

She could definitely sense his hesitation. Her tail was flicking, just like an irritated cat, and she stared up at Scorpius with intense eyes. Puffs and sparks were still popping out of her nostrils. 

But she was warm. Like holding his hands up to a comforting fireplace. Scorpius could feel a steady heartbeat in her tiny body. The power and energy of a dragon in such a small size. 

Scorpius relaxed a little. In response, Pepper gave him a little coo.

“She likes you,” Albus said. 

“She is quite a marvel,” Scorpius replied. 

Pepper shifted, and leaped back at Albus, landing right on his shoulder and curling her tail around his neck. It made Albus laugh. 

As much as Scorpius absolutely adored the sight of his boyfriend’s wide smile, and as much as he was fascinated by the little dragon, he couldn’t help his reservations. Creatures like this were Albus’ passion. He was top of the class in Care of Magical Creatures, he poured over books about the subject, and nearly everything Scorpius knew about the late Newt Scamander was from what Albus told him. He’d hate to dump on something Albus was so passionate about. 

“Albus, are you sure you can take care of her?” Scorpius asked, before quickly adding. “We are still in school. We’re so busy as it is with our N.E.W.T. level classes and stuff. Well, can you do it all?”

“Of course I can,” Albus said with the utmost confidence. “I’ve been reading about dragons for years. Charlie’s told me everything I need to know too. I know I can manage it.”

“You sure? I just want to know that you’re absolutely sure.”

“I’m positive.”

* * *

Positive as Albus was, even one evening with Pepper ended up being a little overwhelming. 

They didn’t go back to the Great Hall for dinner, instead they spent the evening to themselves in the dormitory. Scorpius would’ve preferred their time spent with each other, his arms around Albus while they lounged on one of their beds. He’d play with Albus’ hair and Albus would trace lazy shapes over Scorpius’ torso. They’d snog a little and go to bed in each other’s arms. All of it he’d waited so long for. 

But none of that happened. Which was fine. Just being with Albus was nice too, something he’d sorely missed. But they spent the whole night focused on Pepper. 

She apparently required a lot of attention. Which Albus didn’t seem to mind because Albus was head-over-heels for her. He told Scorpius everything he knew about her new breed, and how Charlie had come to create her, what she’d done in the couple days he’d had her (hidden from the rest of his family, no less), and how he was sure he’d take the best care of her while she was here. They watched her catch bits of food that they’d toss into the air for her, and stroked her when she swirled herself in and around their arms. 

Yes, it was amazing that Pepper could be the future of a new kind of magical creature. She was already affectionate to Scorpius and absolutely attached to Albus. 

But she still had those sharp teeth and could breathe fire. Though it was minimal, Albus still caught a bit of a burn on the back of his hand. Scorpius noticed it wasn’t the only mark, and there were a couple bites as well. When he asked, Albus brushed it off as no big deal. 

He was thinking over all of this the following morning at breakfast. Rose sat across from him, just as sleepy and un-eager to start classes as the rest of the school. 

“I’m sure you had a nice time reunited with Albus last night,” Rose said with a glint in her eye. 

The back of Scorpius’ neck started to get warm. “It was nice, yes.”

“Well I’m glad but spare me the details.”

It’s not like there were any details to spare. He and Albus hadn’t even slept in the same bed last night. Albus holed himself up in his own bed with Pepper, not wanting to leave her alone. Fine. 

“What exactly was in Albus’ little box?” Rose asked. “He refused to tell anyone. And he didn’t even sit with us on the train. He stayed in his own compartment and everything. And he absolutely refused to allow anyone in. What was he hiding in that thing?”

“Um…” Albus was trusting him with this secret. His secret, their secret now. “He’s asked me not to tell anyone.”

Rose gave a very dramatic sigh. “You two are no fun.”

No fun in more ways than one. 

“Where is Al anyway?” Rose asked. 

Still in the dormitory with Pepper. “Slept in. You know how he is.”

“Well he’d better get it together soon, because class is now.” 

Sure enough, it was time for their first class of the day. As they left the hall, Rose linked her arm with Scorpius and began chatting about this new flying move she’d been practicing over the holiday. Scorpius responded with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, but his mind was very much held up on what could be holding Albus up. 

He was awake when Scorpius had left the dorm, and he’d promised he’d meet Scorpius at breakfast, once he was done taking care of Pepper. Could he really be taking this long with the dragon? The idea of that really didn’t sit well with Scorpius. Sure, they’d skipped classes before. But it felt different if Albus was missing classes because he was hoarding a dragon in his dormitory instead.

They arrived to Charms and still no sign of Albus. Scorpius started absently fidgeting with his sleeve, and even with the pages of his textbook while he kept glancing at the door. 

Only when Flitwick called the class to order did Albus finally stumble into his seat next to Scorpius. His hair was disheveled, his uniform only barely in place, and his chest was heaving from clearly having to run to get here on time. Even during class, Albus didn’t appear to be paying attention. 

* * *

Thoughts of Albus were still nagging at Scorpius throughout the day, and not in a good way. Albus was clearly very distracted through every single class, and was late to more than just his first class when he’d sneak down to the dormitories in between. 

Maybe Scorpius was overthinking it. It was just day one, of course. Albus would figure out a routine and Pepper would settle into life hiding out in the dorm. And they’d have a moderately normal rest of the term.

Even his own thoughts weren’t convincing him. 

Scorpius returned to the Slytherin dormitory after his prefect rounds to find Albus’ bed curtains pulled shut. Even with the curtains, Scorpius could still hear Albus’ soft voice and more prominently, Pepper’s little coos and screeches. 

When Scorpius pulled the curtain aside, Albus jumped. Pepper hissed at him as well, until they both recognized a familiar face. “Oh. You scared me.”

Scorpius crawled up onto Albus’ bed and pulled the curtain closed again. Here he was once more, sitting with Albus in bed and wishing they were doing more than just sitting with a dragon between them. “Someone’s going to hear her in here at some point.”

Albus took his wand and cast a quick silencing charm around them. The magic made Scorpius shiver slightly. 

“Now we’re fine,” Albus smiled. 

Scorpius nodded slowly, still not convinced in more ways than one.

“How was prefect rounds?” Albus asked while his attention was back on Pepper. 

“Oh, you know…” Scorpius said, watching Albus stroke the dragon. “Caught a second year student with an illegal dragon in their possession tonight.”

Albus’ head snapped up at that, but he relaxed again as soon as he saw Scorpius’ smile. “Very funny.”

“I try,” Scorpius replied. He reached out to give Pepper a stroke along her back. Her scales were smooth under his fingertips, and she arched her long, thin body into his hand, making a happy little noise too. 

“Isn’t this amazing?” Albus asked. He still had that same bright expression and wide smile that he did last night. Scorpius absolutely loved seeing Albus so happy.

“It’s like what could be,” Albus continued. “You and me together. Just us in a flat and a pet of our own. It’s the dream, isn’t it?”

Scorpius’ chest fluttered. That was obviously the dream. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t daydreamed numerous times of living with Albus in their own place. In his daydreams they had their own garden with lots of plants to take care of, a nice kitchen where they could cook together, and a big, comfy bed for the two of them to fall asleep in peacefully every night. Scorpius would be a Healer and Albus would work at a Magical Creature Sanctuary and they’d see their families every weekend. They’d be content and happy. Pets usually included a couple owls for convenience, and a cat. Maybe a Pygmy Puff because Scorpius really liked those little things. He’d never pictured a dragon. 

Not that he wasn’t open to changing his daydream. Obviously he couldn’t have all of his pictures as he wanted. But he was still unsure of the dragon.

Scorpius took a deep breath. “You sure you still have control of this situation, Albus?”

Albus looked up at him, a flicker of hurt in his eyes that Scorpius definitely noticed. “What do you mean?”

Scorpius tried to reroute this. He didn’t like even an ounce of hurt in his boyfriend’s expression. “Well…you just seemed flustered today. Taking care of her and getting to class on time and stuff. I just want to make sure you can manage it all. This is a big thing to take on.”

“I’ve got it under control,” Albus said, still confident. “Yes, today wasn’t great but we’re figuring it out, aren’t we?” Scorpius couldn’t tell if Albus was asking him or Pepper that question. Pepper gave a tiny coo anyway. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m sure you do, Albus. But—“

“I’ve got it,” Albus said. “I promised you.”

Scorpius sighed. “You did.”

Albus reached over and took Scorpius’ hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “It’ll be fine.”

* * *

It was not fine.

In fact, Scorpius watched Albus for the next week, and things never got any better. 

Scorpius was keeping a tally of how many classes Albus was late to, including classes he outright missed entirely. It started because Scorpius thought he was over-thinking this, that he was just looking for reasons to intervene. But his count solidified his observations. And he knew for a fact Albus wasn’t getting all of his homework done. You don’t spend all of your time with someone and take nearly all of the same classes and not notice things like this. Albus’ classes were suffering because of the dragon. 

It wasn’t just classes either. His odd behavior was being noticed by several others. Rose asked Scorpius several times if Albus was okay. And every single time he had a lame answer for her. Every time she would purse her lips and give him a pointed look. It was only a matter of time before she would probably continue her questioning and somehow wheedle an answer out of him.

Nearly all of Albus’ attention was on the dragon. When they weren’t in class, Albus was in the dorm caring for her. When they were in class, Scorpius could tell he was thinking about her. There were several meals in the great hall that they skipped in favor of holing up in the dorm with Pepper. All of their conversations were about her. Everything revolved around her.

Scorpius told himself several times that it was stupid to be jealous of a dragon. But he couldn’t help it. Every time he’d be with Albus he’d long to just sit with him in bed, fall asleep in each other’s arms, play with Albus’ hair, talk about school…anything other than the dragon.

Was it stupid to long for a person right in front of him? Here Albus was, right here with him as always. But this whole time, Albus felt miles away. 

Craving attention felt stupid. But Scorpius had to eventually admit to himself that that’s what he needed. He didn’t want to feel so separated from his own boyfriend, and he didn’t want to feel so down all the time.

This dragon situation was bringing everything down. And a week into this ordeal, Scorpius decided he had to do something about it.

Scorpius trudged into the Slytherin sixth year boys dormitory after a particularly tiring day. All this added dragon stress on top of an already busy day left Scorpius much more exhausted than he should have been. He was now used to coming into the empty dorm to see Albus’ bed curtains closed shut. They were lucky none of the other boys had asked them what was going on yet. But just like Rose, they were certainly pushing their luck there.

He walked into the dorm expecting the usual sight, but instead he was greeted by the bed curtains being wide open, and Pepper was, clear as day, sitting on Albus’ pillow. Albus standing in the middle of the room. He was hissing through clenched teeth, and clutching one hand in the other. 

“Albus!”

Albus’ head snapped at Scorpius. “Sshh! Shut the door!”

Scorpius slammed the door shut behind him and locked it for good measure. As it was dinner hour, they weren’t likely to be disturbed anyway. 

He immediately went to Albus. “Are you okay?” He tried to reach for Albus’ hands, but Albus turned just far enough out of reach.

“I’m fine,” Albus said. “It’s just…” When Scorpius’ hand rested on Albus’ shoulder, Scorpius felt Albus’ shoulders sink as he sighed. Albus couldn’t hide anything from Scorpius. “Got burned,” Albus mumbled. “It stings.”

Scorpius gently took hold of Albus’ wrist, and guided his hand out so he could examine it. A few red welts stretched from his wrist to his fingertips, and Albus was very clearly trying to hold in his reaction to the pain.

“I have some dittany,” Scorpius said. He carefully guided Albus to his own bed, and sat Albus down while he went through his bedside table. In the back of one drawer was a small vial he was looking for.

He sat himself next to Albus and started carefully applying the dittany to Albus’ hand. 

Between a few more hisses of pain, Albus said, “we were playing…I think she got a little excited.”

Scorpius was slow in his movements. Partially to minimize Albus’ pain as he applied the dittany, and partially because this one moment here was the first time he’d held Albus’ hand in a week.  _ How sad _ , Scorpius thought.

When he was done, he kept a hold of Albus’ hand, carefully turning it over a couple times. Albus’ hand was marked with not just his most recent welts, but older ones too. Along with the little circular marks that were clearly from several bites. 

“Albus…”

Albus pulled his hand away. “It’s fine, Scorpius.”

They had done this already. Scorpius had been so close to expressing his reservations and Albus had promised him that everything was fine. This week had been more than enough to prove that that wasn’t the case. The injuries on Albus’ hand were more than enough proof on their own too. But Albus was stubborn as usual.

This couldn’t go on like this. 

Scorpius shifted, so he was facing Albus directly. “I don’t think it is fine, Albus.”

He expected Albus’ strong will to pull through, and for Albus to vehemently insist he was doing fine and that Pepper was fine too. But Albus didn’t respond right away. So Scorpius kept going. 

“You’ve been putting all of your attention into taking care of Pepper all week. And it’s admirable, it really is. I love how passionate you are about this but…we’re still in school. We still have classes and grades to think about. And those things shouldn’t be falling to the wayside because of a dragon in the dorm.”

Scorpius watched Albus twist and chew on his lip. He could tell Albus wanted to say something to the contrary, but the words weren’t happening. 

“Albus you’re right.” He gestured to Pepper, across from them and curled up on Albus’ pillow. “She is incredible and she could be the future of magical pets. But you need to admit you can’t handle it. Not right now.”

“I’m trying!” Albus replied with desperation. “I’m trying so hard to make it work. And she likes me. She’s attached to me. We’re doing well…”

“You don’t even sound convinced of yourself,” Scorpius said. Albus didn’t disagree. “It can seem like it’s fine when all of your attention is on her.”

“Well maybe I don’t need school,” Albus suddenly burst. “Uncle Charlie’s already talking about taking me on at his sanctuary.”

“So you’re going to become a Hogwarts drop-out?” Scorpius retorted, and it pulled a half-smile out of Albus. Finally, progress. “Come on, that’s a bit ridiculous. At least stay in school for all the Care of Magical Creatures classes. You need those, if anything.”

Albus shook his head. “Okay fine, Care of Magical Creatures. Some Charms and Potions are nice too. So I can find a good balance of taking care of Pepper and focusing on the important classes.”

Scorpius wanted to say that all of the classes were important. But that wasn’t the point he ultimately wanted to make. And clearly it wouldn’t get through to Albus. 

“Well then what about me?”

Scorpius’ voice was cutting, slightly harsher than he intended. He refused to make this into a fight. But the question had its desired effect. 

Albus whipped his head to Scorpius. “Scorpius…”

“You’ve been so focused on the dragon that we barely spend time with each other anymore.”

“What are you talking about? We spend every evening together.”

“Yes Albus. Every evening playing with Pepper,” Scorpius said. “Talking about her and feeding her and everything else involving her. It’s not  _ us _ time. It’s you and Pepper time and I’m the bonus.”

“Scorpius, that’s not…”

“When was the last time we kissed?”

The question fell over them like a ton of bricks, stopping Albus mid-argument. Albus’ eyes scrunched, and he wasn’t able to answer right away. Which was enough of an answer right there. 

“It had to be today right?” Albus said. “Or yesterday, at least?”

Scorpius sighed. “Albus we haven’t kissed since the night we came back to school. A week ago. When you showed me the dragon.”

Albus’ features fell. His hand raked through his already messy hair. Finally the truth had made it into his thick head. “Scorpius, I didn’t even realize… Oh God, that makes me sound even worse. I’m so sorry Scorpius. I…God, how are you even still talking to me right now?”

Scorpius chuckled. “Because I know you. You throw all of yourself into one thing. Honestly I didn’t want to get in the way of something you were so passionate about but after seeing things slowly go downhill for a week I had to say something. You tend to have tunnel vision when you get like this. And it’s nice and dangerous all at once.”

Scorpius was relieved to see Albus smiling again. It always warmed his heart, and now it was especially an especially good feeling.

Albus squeezed Scorpius' hand. “You’re right. I let having this dragon take over my life. And it came at the expense of you and school…” He looked down at their hands. “And my skin.”

Scorpius chuckled. “The skin will heal.”

“Yeah but the other two are the most important. Especially you.” Albus leaned across and pulled Scorpius in for a kiss. Albus’ lips sharply pressed against his own. Scorpius sighed into the familiar feeling, the softness and familiarity that had been so long overdue. 

When the kiss broke, Scorpius rested their foreheads together. Albus' hand was still resting at the back of Scorpius’ neck, fingers gently ran through the ends of his hair. 

“I’m sorry,” Albus said softly. “And you’re right. This isn’t working.”

A trill interrupted them. Pepper’s head was up and she was watching them from her spot on Albus’ pillow. 

“I’ll send an owl to Charlie tonight.”

* * *

It was another three days before they could finally turn Pepper back over to Charlie’s possession. They were just as stressful as the previous week had been. Now that he was aware, Albus had a better handle on his days than he had before. But fortunately, that didn’t change Albus’ mind. He didn’t try to convince Scorpius to keep Pepper. He still agreed that it was best for her to go. 

Finally, their night to meet up with Charlie arrived. Albus had stolen the invisibility cloak from James last year, and they used it tonight to sneak up to the Astronomy tower. Pepper was in the same box she’d arrived in, and Albus had the box in his hand while Scorpius kept the cloak over them, with a significant amount of difficulty. This would’ve been so much easier if he were shorter.

Scorpius could think of several other reasons he’d love to be at the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight with Albus, and this certainly wasn’t in the top ten.

Luckily, they encountered no issues on the way up, and even luckier, Charlie was already there when they arrived. 

“Well isn’t this a familiar sight,” Charlie Weasley smiled when the boys pulled off the invisibility cloak. 

“How so?” Scorpius asked. 

Charlie pointed to Albus. “I was in this exact situation with your dad over twenty years ago, Al.”

“Ew,” Albus muttered. He held the box in Charlie’s direction. “Anyway, Uncle Charlie…thanks for her but it doesn’t really work. Being in school and all…she’s a lot to look after and we couldn’t do it.” Albus averted his eyes from Charlie, and he definitely sounded disappointed, with his quieter tone of voice. Scorpius put a hand on Albus’ shoulder.

Charlie shrugged. “I should’ve known better. I’m sure you did your best though Al. We’ll use your experience here in our research anyway.”

Albus nodded. At least this wasn’t a complete waste of time. 

Charlie took the box and strapped it to his broom. They could hear Pepper making noises from inside her crate while Charlie mounted his broom, bid the boys goodbye, and took off into the night. The boys watched him go until he disappeared. Scorpius’ arm was still around Albus, and he rubbed Albus’ shoulder while Albus wiped his cheek with his sleeve.

“It’s for the best,” Albus said. “She’ll be happier out of a dorm, with other dragons and all…”

“Exactly,” Scorpius replied.

“Maybe once we’re done with school…” Albus started, eyebrows raising.

“ _ Maybe _ ,” Scorpius replied, making Albus laugh.

Scorpius bent down to pick up the invisibility cloak from the floor. But on his way up, Albus’ hands were suddenly on his cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. He was quite startled, but accepted it within a second.

“What’s that for?” Scorpius asked.

“Just because,” Albus replied. “And, I’m not in a rush to get back to the dorm. If you’re not.”

Scorpius grinned, and leaned in to kiss Albus again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed my fun little fic! Thanks again to accioscorp for the beta!  
> Find me on twitter @truexmeg and tumblr @truemeg


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